After cornea surgery, you will be closely monitored to make sure your body does not reject the transplanted tissue. You will be prescribed steroid eye drops to help your body accept the donor tissue and reduce swelling.
The doctor will give you a patch to wear to protect your eye. You must be careful not to rub your eyes. Do not participate in any sports or strenuous activity, and avoid swimming for the next several months. You also should not drive unless your doctor gives you approval to do so. If your job does not involve heavy lifting or strenuous activity, you should be able to resume work the week after surgery.
Your vision will initially be blurry, and may fluctuate as your body adapts to the new tissue. However, your vision should improve within a few months, but could take up to a year to become fully functional again. You may need to be fitted with glasses a few months after surgery.
What are the risks?
Corneal transplant surgery is generally successful for most patients, however, as with all surgical procedures, you can still be at risk for complications.
The biggest risk of corneal transplant surgery is your body rejecting the donor cornea. Rejection can occur anywhere from several weeks to several months after the surgery.
The symptoms of transplant rejection include
- Eye redness
- Light sensitivity
- Eye pain
- Clouded vision
Contact your doctor immediately if you experience any of these symptoms.
If your body rejects the transplant, the surgery may need to be performed again.
Other risks of surgery include
- Astigmatism
- Glaucoma
- Inflammation
- Retinal detachment
- Infection
- Worsening vision